Focus On Broncos O-Line As Peyton Manning Starts Against Houston Texans On Saturday Night

All you have to say is the name J.J. Watt and alarm bells go off along opposing offensive lines, in quarterback meeting rooms, and inside head coaches' offices. When your offensive line has two rookies and a practice player from last season starting, along with a 39-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback taking snaps behind it, the mere mention of the Houston Texans star defensive end and the havoc he can create might cause some to hit the panic button.

If the Denver Broncos are hitting the panic button concerning the youth and inexperience of their offensive line heading into Friday night's preseason matchup against Watt and the Texans, they aren't showing it.

Following last Thursday's preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, head coach Gary Kubiak came away satisfied that his starting o-line had performed well.

“The first thing that impressed with our first group is (center) Matt Paradis running the group,’’ Kubiak said at his media session following Monday's practice. “He’s got to be the quarterback. ... I like the way he ran the group, thought we played extremely hard, thought we made mistakes and came back and made the next play. I just like our effort. I think if Matt can continue to hold the group together, we can continue to grow. … I like the way the first group played. They’ll stay together and we’ll keep going.’’

The youth movement that general manager John Elway and Kubiak committed themselves to in the offseason includes this year's second round pick Ty Sambrailo at left tackle in place of injured all-pro Ryan Clady, fourth round pick Max Garcia at left guard, 2014 practice squad member Paradis, and veterans Louis Vasquez at right guard and Ryan Harris at right tackle.

At left tackle, Sambrailo occupies the most critical position as the "personal bodyguard" for Manning, responsible for guarding his blind side. In what appeared to be miscommunication between Sambrailo and Garcia that led to a sack of Brock Osweiler on the second play of last Thursday's game, the line stiffened against the Seahawks' rush and kept the Broncos' backup quarterback upright the rest of the half.

The line also opened up holes for the running game, utilizing Kubiak's zone-blocking scheme in which the linemen are asked to cut block. C.J. Anderson, Montee Ball, and Ronnie Hillman averaged 6.3 yards per carry as the running game racked up 101 yards on the ground in the first half.

The running game has been stressed by Kubiak since his arrival as the Broncos head coach last January. With a inexperienced line, the running game becomes even more important as it allows the lineman to push forward off the ball, relieving the pressure of having to spend much of their time backpedaling while pass blocking. Kubiak's system is tailor made for offensive lineman to grow into their role.

Kubiak called 33 run plays by the end of the Seattle game. A big change of pace for a team that during a five-game stretch last season barely had 30 running plays.

Sambrailo had a tough day in practice on Tuesday as he was repeatedly beaten by linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. The two pass rushers had so thoroughly beaten the left tackle, one of Ware's rushes landed Sambrailo on his back, that visible concern could be seen on the face of Manning.

"You saw today it was a challenge," Kubiak said following practice. "Ty had some rough snaps. I know it's a tough thing, but he has to continue to push through it. I think you look at the big picture. I want Ty to be a Pro Bowler and a sixth-year player today. But I also understand the process he's going through. He, Max and Matt, watching them, I think as coaches we have to have patience when we see some of those things.”

Despite the struggles Sambrailo has earned praise from both Miller and Ware.

"He's matured and is athletic," said Ware. "He continues to improve on technique"

Sambrailo, Garcia, and Paradis are often seen huddled up with Miller and Ware after completing a series on the practice field, asking questions of the veteran linebackers on how to improve their technique. Their inquisitiveness has not gone unnoticed by their head coach.

“The thing that I’m really impressed with is to watch DeMarcus and Von grab them after that series and say, ‘Come here, let me tell you why that happened,’” Kubiak said. “That’s very encouraging.”

The Broncos are confident that after spending an offseason of OTA's and minicamp, plus 20 days of training camp facing one of the best pass rushing tandems in the league, taking on the pass rush of Watt won't unsettle their linemen.

The line isn't all rookies, however. The right side is anchored by Vasquez at right guard who is entering his seventh season in the NFL. Vasquez was shifted back to his natural position after spending the second half of 2014 at right tackle.

"My mentality is I'm a guard," Vasquez said during OTA's last April, "I would love to stay inside the trenches. That's how my mentality is. I'm a big, strong guy (6' 5", 335 lbs.). I like to get physical. Being out on the outside, it's more finesse. Guys want to rush the passers and that's not my forte."

Vasquez is known as a friendly, soft-spoken player but brings strong leadership skills to the locker room. Vasquez, along with Harris, who is beginning his ninth season in the league and second stint with the Broncos, will be leaned on to provide a stabilizing element to the line and someone who the "baby blockers" can lean on.

The Broncos fortunes on offense will depend on Manning staying healthy and the running game producing. Both will hinge on their offensive line acting as a cohesive unit who can perform their assigned jobs effectively. That will be the question hanging over the team heading into the regular season.